Yarn carrier



Dec. 11, 1951 E JENTSQH 2,577,968

YARN CARRIER Filed Nov. 4, 1948 2 swam-awn 1 INVENTOR. Edward Jen f6 0/? B Y Dec. 11, 1951 JENTSCH 2,577,968

YARN CARRIER Filed NOV. 4, l9 48 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. fowa/"a Je/i {J c /2 BY Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in yarn carriers and accessories. It relates more particularly to a yarn carrier having a removable thread-guide tube and a carrier-tube releaser by means of which the thread-guide may be easily removed from the carrier and replaced upon becoming worn or otherwise damaged.

The present invention provides means for accurately positioning the thread-guide tube without interference with the threading of the carrier and also prevents damage or injury to the carrier during the removal or installation of the threadguide tube. The various objects and advantages of the invention will be best understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a yarn carrier embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the carrier jaws and the thread-guide tube as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, but on a somewhat enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a section view taken along the line 6-4 of Fig. 1; but on an enlarged scale;

- Fig. 5 is a section view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a yarn carrier and a carrier-tube releaser;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the carrier-tube releaser as illustrated in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the carrier-tube releaser as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail there is a yarn carrier, designated generally by the numeral 1 that is of the type suitable for use in full fashioned hosiery machines. However, it will be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to a particular type of yarn carrier, but may be used in conjunction with any suitable type of carrier; as for example, a yarn carrier of the type illustrated and described in my copending application Serial No. 58,266 filed November 4, 1948, now Patent No. 2,560,955.

The yarn carrier consists of a downwardly sloping body 2 with a pair of opposed spring-jaws 3 and 4 that extend downwardly at an angle to the carrier body 2 at the lower end thereof. The jaws 3 and 4 are shaped to engage with and hold a thread-guide tube 5 in proper position at the lower end of the yarn carrier I for guiding a yarn or thread to a knitting machine.

The spring-jaws 3 and 4 have recessed portions in their faces, as indicated at 6 and I in Fig. 2, that are located beneath an enlarged opening 28 between the spring-jaws. The recessed portions 6 and I expose the front and top of the guide 2 tube 5 when it is positioned between the jaws 3 and 4 so that the top of the tube 5 is fully accessible to the operator. This permits the operator to thread the yarn through the tube 5 with little difiiculty. Projections B and 9 extend forwardly from the tops of the recessed portions 6 and I of the jaws, respectively, and engage with the top of the thread-guide tube 5 at the rear edge thereof when the thread-guide tube is inserted between the jaws. The engagement of the thread-guide tube 5 with the projections 8 and 9 positions the lower end of the thread-guide tube in the yarn carrier so that it will be accurately located with respect to the knitting machine. The projections 8 and 9 may be spaced apart by a distance at least equal to the inner diameter and not greater than the outer diameter of the yarn guide tube 5 so that when the jaws 3 and 4 engage with the thread-guide tube 5, the projections will not extend beyond the inner edges of the thread-guide tube 5 or interfere with the passage of yarn through the tube.

The spring-jaws 3 and 4 of the carrier are also provided with apertures 10 and H into which the prongs l2 and I3 of a carrier tube releaser, designated generally by the numeral I4, may be inserted. The body of the carrier tube releaser I4 is a bifurcated member having legs l5 and Hi from the ends of which the prongs I2 and I3 that are shaped to engage the spring-jaws extend. A threaded member I! is threaded through the rear of the bifurcated body of the carrier tube releaser l4 and extends between the legs l5 and IS. The end of the threaded member I! is tapered and may be brought into and out of engagement with tapered seats IS in opposed surfaces of the legs I 5 and It by turning the threaded member I! in an appropriate direction. Thus, when the threaded member I! is screwed into the carrier tube releaser M, the legs l5 and I6 and the prongs l2 and I 3 will be uniformly spread apart and when it is screwed out the legs l5 and It will return to their normal position.

The end of the threaded member I! extending beyond the body of the carrier tube releaser 14 may be provided with a knob l9 by which it may be screwed into or out of the body of the carrier tube releaser l4 and the threaded member I! also carries a stop in the form of an adjustable collar 20 that is located on the threaded member between the knob I9 and the back of the body of the carrier tube releaser M. The collar 20 is provided with a set screw 2| by means of which its position on the threaded member I! at a desired location may be fixed. When the threaded member I! is screwed into the body of the carrier tube releaser M, the collar 20 engages with the rear of the body of the carrier tube releaser I4 and limits further movement of the threaded member I! and thus, limits the distance the legs l5 and i6 and the prongs l2 and 13 will be spread to that required to release the thread-guide tube 5 from the carrier jaws 3 and l.

The carrier tube relea ser l4 spreads the carrier jaws 3 and 4 apart uniformly by thefgrce exerted through the prongs i2 and I3 and the limited movement of the prongs l2 and I3 prevents the carrier from being damaged by over-expansreleaser H has been inserted and the jaws 3:and

4 have been expanded sufficiently to release the thread-guide tube 5, the carrier tube releaser I4 will hold the jaws 3 and 4. in expanded con;

dition as long as desired. This leaves both hands 7 of the operator free toremove the thread-guide tube 5 and insert a new thread-guide tube in the carrier,

" The reverse sideof body 2 of the yarn carrier may be provided with wear resisting guides 22 over which the yarn passes. The wear resistant guides 22 may be in the form of clips of hardened steel wire that have prongs 23. The prongs 23 fit intoopenings 24 in the carrier body 2 and engage with the carrier body 2 to hold the guides 22 in place. However, the guides 22 ma: be easily removed and replaced when desired. Other types of replaceable guides that might be us d in various types of carriers in place of the guides 22 are shown and described more fully in mv copending application Serial No. 58,267 filed November 4, 19.48. The guides 22 may also be secured to the carrier body 2 by soldering,

brazing or the like or they may be formed by forcing out sections of the carrier body 2 if it is not desired to have them replaceable, The carrier body 2 and the guides 22 are provided with grooves 24' and 23, respectively, to direc the thread as it passes down the carrier.

After the thread passesv over the guides 22, it passes through an opening 25 in the carrier body 2 and then isv guided down the front of the car-- rier over a groove 26 by a tongue 21 across the enlarged opening 28 to the, threadeguide tube 5. If desired the groove 26 may be, provided with wear resisting guides 22 such as previously described. The tongue 2I'may be beveled or ta pered on its front and rear, as shown in Fig. 5, to prevent interference with or damage to adjacent carriers in a, multi-earrier machine.

It will be understood that various modifications and changes in theembodiment of the invention as illustrated and described herein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A yarn carrier of" the type wherein a pair of spring jaws located at the. delivery end of the carrier en a e ith and 1. 9151 thread-guide. t

uide tube,

in a slotted opening between said jaws with the top end of said tube communicating with an enlarged opening in the carrier above the tube gripping portions of said laws which is characterized by said jaws having recesses in the outer faces thereof, said recesses being located at the top of the slotted opening between the jaws and exposing the front and top end of the thread- 2. A yarn carrier of the type wherein a pair of spring jaws located at the delivery end of the carrier engage with and hold a thread-guide tube in a slotted opening between said jaws with the top end of said tube communicating with an enlarged opening in the carrier above the tube gripping portions of said laws which is characterized by said jawsv having recesses in the outer faces thereof, said recesses being located at the top of the slotted opening between the jaws and exposing the front and top end of the threadguide tube and a projection carried by at least one of said jaws and extending into the recess therein at the top of the slotted opening between the jaws, said projection engaging with the top of the thread-guide tube at the rear thereof and positioning the thread-guide tube in the slotted opening between the jaws.

3. A yarn carrier of the type wherein a pair of spring jaws located at the delivery end of the carrier engage with and hold a thread-guide tube in a slotted opening between said jaws with the top end of said tube communicating with an enlarged opening in the carrier above the tube gripping portions of said jaws which is characterized by said jaws having recesses in the outer faces thereof, said recesses being located at the top of the slotted opening between the jaws and exposing the front and top end of the thread-guide tube, a projection carried by at least one of said jaws and extending into the recess therein at the top of the slotted opening between the jaws, said projection engaging with the top of the threadguide tube at the rear thereof and positioning the thread guide tube in the slotted opening between the jaws and each of said spring jaw having a circular opening therein located intermediate its length for reception of the prongs of a jawspreading tool therein to release the jaws from engagement with the thread-guide tube.

EDWARD J ENTSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The. following references are of record in the fil of this a ent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

